Switch-point protector



June 24, 1930. R1 PACKER 1,765,99 5

SWITCH POINT PROTECTOR 1 Filed April 20, 1 929 2 She'et's--Sheet 1 a /0 T K Z5 ATTORN EY June 24, 1930. E. PACKER 1,765,995

SWITCH POINT PROTECTOR Filed April 20, 1929 2 SX I eetS-Sheet 2 i? m 3 m is X oi a:

Q Q; 6 I a? N 3 13" W K D i; l Q\\ :1

PU! H I ll A L "Q Q Q I Y N 1-. L L I R Ira/ go v V ATTORNEY Patented lune 24 swrrcrr-rorn'r rno'rneron Application fileq aprir 20',

This: invention relates to improvements in; switch point. protectors for railway switches or turnouts and consists of improved features vof constructionand arrangement designed to be efficient in re- 'ducing wear and. damage to switch points, to reduce'derailments atjswitch points, to have adequate strength and to be particularly economical of manufacture to allow of economy in the; first cost of installation and in: the replacement or renewal. of the wearing-surfaces; i

The device out the present inventionincorporates important features disclosedin 1-5 prior patent to me uuderdate of June 19,

1928, No. 1,67%1'78, and consists of" further structural improvements embodied therein,

specially: adapted to. obtain substantial.

eeonomies in the cost of. manutactu-re and installation; A particular feature; of the present type oi" switch point protectorgconsists in the provision of a supporting member and an'insert orfbearin'g portion mem "ber: formatively providing the Wearing-or contact surfaces and which is desirably made of a manganese steel casting "so asto v afford: a maximum degree of; durability and Y resistance: to-weanx In the disclosure of my prior patent aforesaid, the supporting memher is of a1 designto; have engagement with the fishing surfaces-of the -rail and has in-V tegrally'. formed? therewithfa laterally eX- ten-ded braci'ng; structure operative to resist the very severe lateral thrustto which the device for this purpose is subjected. I Asa result" of the severe stresses imparted tothe supporting member in actual use, it is desirabl'e that the supporting member sh-all V be made of-a steelv relatively high in its physical properties and desirably inadefor' a casting, of a high grade electric furnace steel; As a result'thereof, where the supporting member and its bracing structure are integrally formed, it has been found that the cost ofman'ufacture iscrela-tiively I high both-by reason of the required use of thehigher grade steelandlikewise the pattern expense incident to; the. casting of 1 the Q variedi forlns 0t -b;racing structures requiredv 1929. Serial no} aseyal;

in connection withthe variationsin switch i point tieplates commonly in use."

- ln accordance with the' present nvention I haveformed the-supporting member and the bracing structure therefor,' as separable By so. doing, I am enabled "in the first in-' Y stance to effect substantial;- economyin the employment of a: reduced weight of the 1 higherpricedsteel, and, moreover-,- an add f'rtionaleconomy i-nci dent to the reduction in patternexpense in that the arrangement allows oii the'empioyment of a si-ngle-pattern for a given sized rail and which may be universally employed in conjunction with variations in the switch plates or tie plate construction, and wherein the bracin structure is formed of standard bar materi-a eta relatively lower grade steel but fully adequate for its purpose andwhich may, be inexpensively cut and formed torineetthe varied clearance conditions imposed? by the normal. variations in-switchpoint plates 7.5 and, tie plates and likewise-special tieplate installations as they are met. p

, The foregolng and other features and advantages of my device will be understood by reterenceto the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals are applied to the corresponding. parts in the several features. g V l min the drawings: g v s Figure '1, is. a vertical transverse sec; ti nal view ofan improved switch point protector embodying the" features of the present'invention. I 7 i Figure 2 is a plan viewthereot. v v,

,Figure 3 is a view thereoi in side elevaltionp- K Figure 4 is avertical' transverse sectional. view illustrating the desirable modification and y I .Figu-re 5' isaplan view thereof;

The improved switch point protector,,-as

shown in the drawings, comprises a deflector member a adapted to be positioned, as shown; upon the outer sidefoiithe; maiin reduced portion of the movable rail or iswitch 'poinh as will be readily understood.

The protector"a consists of'a supporting 'member 2 composed of an upper orhead 'portion- 8, a vertical web portion 4, having an innerflange extension 5', positioned to engagefthe upper fishing surface of the rail base flange and-a bearingmember or por- T 7 tion adapted to engage the car'wheel. As here shown, upon the upperor head portion 3, there is removably mounted'aseparable insert or bearing: member 76 having an upwardly extended longitudinal bearing por- I tionor deflecting flange 7V 'positioned to have its inwardly directed surface engaged 1 bythe outer or non-flange surface of a'car wheel for the purpose of inwardly deflect- 'ingthe latter and for thelatter'purposehas H its end portions angularly disposed. or out- I wardly deflared as indicated at 88 in Figure' 2. The separable insert member 6 is desirably of a manga'nese steel castingor of a'lhigh grade steel alloy having the prop erty of high resistance to wear and is'further of a form with relation to the support 1 ing member whereby thepressures applied thereto from the car wheel will be'ftransmitted to the supporting member by bolts'or other securing means- For'this purpose the.

head portionof the supporting member is formed with a seat to receive the bearing member 6, he seat being formed by the up-- persurface of the horizontal wall of the head portion in conjunction'with an outer vertical flange 'portionlO engaged by, the

; outervertical surface of the bearing memthe supporting member and provision is likewise made for, inter-engagement between {the bearing memberand, the supporting member to resist relativelongitudinal movement, i. e.,movement' in a direction longitudinal of the rail; To this end,th'e bears -finglmember has integrally cast thereon,de-

I pending perforated lugs 12 fitted to slots or apertures in the horizontal wall of the supporting, member. For securing the parts described in operating relation to' the rail, the web portion-of the support member is provided with bolt apertures 14 positioned toregister with the apertures of the lugs 12 and securing bolts 15 are passed through sa d apertures and through. a registering aperture in therailand a securing nut 16' ;is threaded tothe bolt whereby the bolt and I nut will operate to secure both the support- 1 5 ing member and the bearing member in po- "providing inter-engagement I between the sition, the arrangement at the same time bearing member and supporting member to :resist relative longitudinal movement; The

bearing member, as best shown in Figures v '1 andr3, is formedat its inner lower edge the scope of the appended claims.

lustratlve thereof, I have gshownin Figs, 5

with an inwardly extending flange portion 18 engaging the rail head fishing surface,

A further importantfeature oftheflpresent invention provides for bracing ofthe I deflector member, composed'of the bearing t V and supportingmembers, against the severe s lateral thrust so as to, to a substantial degree, relieve the. securing: bolts from the stresses thereof. Int'he'improved arrange" ment, the; bracing members are separately formed of commercial bar stock and are in-- dicated at'QO angularly disposed with their i outer end portions bent atr2l to bear upon i the ties and perforated at 22 to'receive the usual securing spikes. To co-op erate therewith, the outer flange portions 10 of thesupporting member at the lntermed ate and end portions of the device are provided with' slots orrecesses 23' to rece ve the upper end of the bracing members "20. Also, as. best shown in Figure 2,the slots for receiving the bracing members at the respectiveendsl of the structure are elongated with relation to the widthofthe' bracingmembers, thereby allowing. a J desirable] longitudinal adjustment of the end bracingmembers to accommodate for differences in spacing of the ties associated with the installation. I

so i

As will be appreciated, the improved feature of the separable bracing members allows of said members being madeup of commercial bar stock, thereby to effect a substantial economy and further allowsof effecting a direct bracing connection be,

tween the head portionsof the supporting member and the tie in a manner to best'provide clearance or noninterference withthe ice switch tie plate, one type of which is here shown at 26 Moreover,ias aforesaid, the use] of the separable brace members results in a further economy in pattern costs, and-like- .wise it facilitates installation by-reason of the provision for adjustability 0f the rend brace members to accommodate. forvaried tiespacmg at the different locations! bodiment of the present invention, it will 1 While I have disclosed an approved-em-' be understood that varied modifications may i V i be made therein without" departing from As iland 6 a desirable modifiedform'wherein-the deflector member, composed of the supporting and bearing'members is shown as a one piece casting and wherein the bracingmemher isformed of a separablefpiece of rolled bar steel and wherein it is bent-back atits outer end and extended beneath the track railx thereby forming an integral tie plate r portion 28. At its inner end, this tie plate portion, as shown, is apertured to receive a- I for engagesecuring spike at 29in position ment with the rail flange;

Having described'my invention-,I'claim: i

1.- A switch point protector adapted IEOI'CBQ" a car wheel in the direction of switchinguse incombination with a main rail and a movable switch point operatively associated therewith and to be. positioned for deflecting comprising a deflector 'member adapted to be secured with relation to thelraill and formed with angularly disposed deflecting surfaces and with an outwardly e directedseat or recess and a separable bracing mem ber therefor fitted to the recess and inclined downwardly therefrom to thetie and said recess being elongated with relation to they width of the bracing member to. allow of adjustably positioningof the bracing member with relation to the tie. v

2. A switch point protector adapted for use in combination with a main railand a movable switch point operatively associatedthere with and to be positioned. for deflecting a car wheel in the direction of switching comprising a deflector member adapted to 'be' secured with relation to the rail and formed with angularly disposed deflecting surfaces and with outwardly directed recesses at its intermediate and end portions and separable bracing members formed of flat bar steel, fitted to said recesses and downwardly inclined with their outer end portions bearing upon the ties and said recesses at the end portions being elongated to allow of adjust- 7 ably positioning of the braces to accommodate for varied tie spacings.

3. A switch point protector adapted for use in combination with a main rail and a movable switch'point operatively associated therewith and to be positioned for deflect ing a car wheel in the direction" of switching comprising a deflector member composed of a supporting" member and a bear ing member supported thereon'and formed with angularly disposed deflecting surfaces,

recesses at its outer side and bracing mem bers fitted to the recesses and inclined outwardly and downwardly for attachment to v the tie and certain of said recesses being elongated to allow of adjusting the position of the bracing members with relation to the ties, said bracing members being formed of fiat bar-steel angled to have bearing on the tie and apertured for spiking thereto.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of March, A.' D. 1929. V a

i RAY PACKER. 

